Simply Grilled Chicken Breasts

For perfect grilled chicken breasts, Melissa uses a meat mallet to even out the thickness of the breasts, so they cook more evenly. Then she lets the chicken come to room temperature and brushes it with garlic-infused oil before cooking it on a hot grill.

Foolproof Popovers

Once you put these popovers into the oven, don’t open it to peek inside to see how they're doing — you'll bring the oven temperature down and the popovers could collapse. When done, they'll be nice and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Melissa simmers her corned beef in beef broth and beer for nearly 5 hours. Then she takes simple steamed cabbage to the next level, by sauteing it in butter with onions until it's browned and flavorful.

Crispy-Skinned Chicken a l'Orange

For crispy skin, Melissa sears the chicken breast skin before brushing it with an orange glaze and letting it cook through in the oven. To make this dish budget-friendly, she cooks 3 chicken breasts to serve 4 people, cutting the meat off the bone and slicing it on the bias before serving on a platter.

Fish Piccata

Inexpensive white fish fillets, like tilapia or sole, get dressed up with layers of flavor. First, they're dredged in flour and sauteed until cooked and golden brown, and then they're served with a lemon-caper piccata sauce.

Fish en Papillote

This light, budget-friendly dish has a beautiful presentation, making it perfect for entertaining or date night. Fillets of sole are packaged in parchment, along with julienned veggies, lemon slices, thyme sprigs and a little white wine, so they all steam together in the oven.

Roasted Garlic Clove Chicken

Melissa cooks flavorful, budget-friendly chicken thighs with about 20 cloves of garlic, which become sweet and tender in the oven. Serve this dish with bread to soak up the sauce and spread with the roasted garlic.